Sal's murder trial starts

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THOUGH an autopsy had not provided a definitive cause of death, various strands of evidence taken together pointed to Bowan Taylor Wade being responsible for the death of his ex-girlfriend Klarissa "Sal" Callow, it was suggested to Toowoomba Supreme Court yesterday.

Ms Callow's body was found inside a locked storage shed at Stanthorpe on August 10, 2009. She was age 17.

Opening the case against her 21-year-old former boyfriend, Crown prosecutor Andrew Anderson showed photographs of the teen's body just inside the door of the shed where she and Wade had property stored.

The Crown claimed she had gone with Wade to the shed to retrieve some of her property having moved in with friends across town from Wade after the pair's relationship broke down.

Her body on the floor was twisted between boxes and other items leading the forensic pathologist to suggest she may have died of positional asphyxia, the cystic fibrosis sufferer being unable to move her body to a position in which she could breathe.

Blood coming from her nose may also point to asphyxiation, Mr Anderson said.

Wade has pleaded not guilty to a charge of murder.

Mr Anderson said the Crown claimed the evidence would show Wade caused or significantly contributed to the teenager's death.

Ms Callow, who had only moved to Stanthorpe a couple of months before her death, had told friends Wade had been following her everywhere since their break-up.

Mr Anderson said in text messages and phone conversations Wade had had with friends following the teenager's death, he had intimated he may have killed Ms Callow and that he had pushed her inside the storage shed and she had "gone flying".